Benzodiazepine Prescribing in Alabama
Medicare Part D, 2013–2024.
Benzodiazepine prescribing in Alabama fell 30.3% between 2013 and 2024 — a steeper fall than the country as a whole. In 2024 the state recorded 676,876 Medicare Part D benzodiazepine claims across 123,900 patients, an average of 5.46 fills per patient per year, which ranks 4 of 51 states. Alprazolam accounts for 34.3% of it.
676,876
Claims, 2024
123,900
Patients, 2024
5.46
Fills per patient
-30.3%
Since 2013
Alabama over twelve years
Which benzodiazepines Alabama prescribes
| Drug | Claims 2024 | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Alprazolam | 232,259 | 34.3% |
| Clonazepam | 217,515 | 32.1% |
| Lorazepam | 119,850 | 17.7% |
| Temazepam | 51,282 | 7.6% |
| Diazepam | 49,483 | 7.3% |
Psychiatric prescribers in Alabama
221 psychiatric prescribers in Alabama appear in the 2024 Medicare Part D data with benzodiazepine claims. 39 of them recorded at least a 50% fall in benzodiazepine claims since 2019. Sorted by change, largest reduction first.
This is a record, not a recommendation. A fall in Medicare benzodiazepine claims has many possible explanations — a changing patient panel, retirement, a shift to another payer, or simply dropping below the threshold CMS publishes. It does not establish that a prescriber supports tapering, and a low number does not mean they will take you as a patient. Use it as one input, then ask the five vetting questions.
| Prescriber | City | 2019 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Janet LintonPsychiatry | Birmingham | 958 | 14 | -98.5% |
| Sanjay MalhotraPsychiatry | Huntsville | 340 | 17 | -95% |
| David HarveyPsychiatry | Birmingham | 1,861 | 135 | -92.7% |
| Amanda WilliamsPsychiatry | Montgomery | 259 | 22 | -91.5% |
| Ramakanth VemuluriPsychiatry | Montgomery | 3,689 | 369 | -90% |
| Patrick TapiaPsychiatry | Birmingham | 562 | 65 | -88.4% |
| Kamal RaisaniPsychiatry | Northport | 564 | 87 | -84.6% |
| Jessaka FifePsychiatry | Montgomery | 88 | 14 | -84.1% |
| Antonowsky ColemanPsychiatry | Tuscaloosa | 352 | 59 | -83.2% |
| Terri SteelePsychiatry | Birmingham | 830 | 148 | -82.2% |
| Venkata DevabhaktuniPsychiatry | Huntsville | 342 | 61 | -82.2% |
| Jason EngeriserPsychiatry | Mobile | 337 | 63 | -81.3% |
| Gagandeep DhaliwalPsychiatry | Huntsville | 76 | 17 | -77.6% |
| Michael McmanusPsychiatry | Mt Vernon | 752 | 174 | -76.9% |
| David FaberPsychiatry | Pelham | 1,552 | 372 | -76% |
| James JefferyPsychiatry | Decatur | 492 | 118 | -76% |
| Charles NevelsPsychiatry | Tuscaloosa | 368 | 94 | -74.5% |
| James DildayPsychiatry & Neurology | Tuscaloosa | 139 | 37 | -73.4% |
| Mary Katherine ThrowerPsychiatry | Cullman | 277 | 74 | -73.3% |
| Zynnia ZafraPsychiatry | Tuscaloosa | 55 | 15 | -72.7% |
| Kathryn NeyPsychiatry | Daphne | 249 | 71 | -71.5% |
| Sofia AeschlimannPsychiatry & Neurology | Huntsville | 270 | 95 | -64.8% |
| Elton HurstPsychiatry | Birmingham | 3,129 | 1,105 | -64.7% |
| Stephen HughesPsychiatry & Neurology | Birmingham | 34 | 12 | -64.7% |
| John HubbardPsychiatry | Tuscaloosa | 729 | 264 | -63.8% |
| Rachel FargasonPsychiatry | Birmingham | 283 | 104 | -63.3% |
| David HarwoodPsychiatry | Montgomery | 652 | 245 | -62.4% |
| Patrice DonahuePsychiatry | Selma | 1,314 | 495 | -62.3% |
| David HodoPsychiatry | Selma | 215 | 81 | -62.3% |
| Donald PaolettiPsychiatry & Neurology | Birmingham | 319 | 121 | -62.1% |
| Clemmie PalmerPsychiatry | Montgomery | 834 | 341 | -59.1% |
| Shakir MeghaniPsychiatry | Dothan | 478 | 199 | -58.4% |
| Rusheng ZhangPsychiatry | Birmingham | 449 | 188 | -58.1% |
| Lakshmikantha KumblaPsychiatry | Greenville | 547 | 240 | -56.1% |
| Emily LazenbyPsychiatry | Birmingham | 576 | 259 | -55% |
| Jane DawPsychiatry | Birmingham | 1,718 | 787 | -54.2% |
| Marianne SaitzPsychiatry | Mobile | 200 | 97 | -51.5% |
| Margaret BarclayPsychiatry | Birmingham | 455 | 221 | -51.4% |
| Richard GrantPsychiatry | Rainbow City | 1,323 | 644 | -51.3% |
| William WilkersonPsychiatry | Mobile | 524 | 280 | -46.6% |
| James HassellPsychiatry | Mobile | 727 | 389 | -46.5% |
| Alicia AustinPsychiatry | Birmingham | 303 | 168 | -44.6% |
| Emmalyn Bady-McdowellPsychiatry | Dothan | 142 | 79 | -44.4% |
| Rebecca JonesPsychiatry | Birmingham | 1,059 | 597 | -43.6% |
| Srilata AnnePsychiatry | Birmingham | 313 | 184 | -41.2% |
| Armand SchachterPsychiatry | Birmingham | 3,281 | 1,970 | -40% |
| Christopher JenkinsPsychiatry & Neurology | Mobile | 576 | 351 | -39.1% |
| Yelena ChistyakovaPsychiatry | Montgomery | 1,804 | 1,110 | -38.5% |
| Huma KhusroPsychiatry | Gadsden | 1,370 | 867 | -36.7% |
| David AnakwenzePsychiatry | Florence | 1,102 | 724 | -34.3% |
| Eyob TessemaPsychiatry | Enterprise | 953 | 626 | -34.3% |
| Sanjay SinghPsychiatry | Tuscaloosa | 367 | 244 | -33.5% |
| Garry GraysonPsychiatry | Birmingham | 1,741 | 1,170 | -32.8% |
| Trevor LindsayPsychiatry | Huntsville | 634 | 437 | -31.1% |
| Margaret ScalisePsychiatry | Northport | 200 | 138 | -31% |
| Debra WilliamsPsychiatry & Neurology | Huntsville | 86 | 60 | -30.2% |
| Cayce PaddockPsychiatry | Birmingham | 20 | 14 | -30% |
| Caroline AboladePsychiatry | Gadsden | 1,442 | 1,020 | -29.3% |
| Lauren TurnbowPsychiatry & Neurology | Fairhope | 50 | 36 | -28% |
| Timothy WhalenPsychiatry | Florence | 1,561 | 1,125 | -27.9% |
| Karen CallahanPsychiatry | Birmingham | 964 | 695 | -27.9% |
| Li LiPsychiatry | Birmingham | 34 | 25 | -26.5% |
| Marilyn LachmanPsychiatry | Albertville | 5,733 | 4,294 | -25.1% |
| Daniel LaeupplePsychiatry | Madison | 464 | 348 | -25% |
| Rita PattonPsychiatry | Birmingham | 502 | 392 | -21.9% |
| Sarah BoxleyPsychiatry | Scottsboro | 961 | 769 | -20% |
| Heath PenlandPsychiatry | Huntsville | 342 | 275 | -19.6% |
| Leesha Ellis-CoxPsychiatry & Neurology | Birmingham | 472 | 381 | -19.3% |
| Anupama YedlaPsychiatry | Huntsville | 1,181 | 979 | -17.1% |
| Artie NelsonPsychiatry | Birmingham | 314 | 261 | -16.9% |
| Glenn ArchibaldPsychiatry | Anniston | 2,261 | 1,994 | -11.8% |
| Saeed ShahPsychiatry | Montgomery | 518 | 459 | -11.4% |
| John DorseyPsychiatry | Greensboro | 441 | 392 | -11.1% |
| Regina Doody-LundyPsychiatry | Madison | 58 | 52 | -10.3% |
| Alfred HabeebPsychiatry & Neurology | Birmingham | 156 | 141 | -9.6% |
| Jorge CastroPsychiatry & Neurology | Birmingham | 1,282 | 1,160 | -9.5% |
| John StrunkPsychiatry | Dothan | 4,996 | 4,570 | -8.5% |
| Douglas AdamsPsychiatry | Huntsville | 456 | 418 | -8.3% |
| George ShehiPsychiatry | Gadsden | 2,508 | 2,331 | -7.1% |
| Shankar YalamanchiliPsychiatry | Montgomery | 2,260 | 2,124 | -6% |
| Christopher RandolphPsychiatry | Anniston | 1,015 | 954 | -6% |
| Mark PichlerPsychiatry & Neurology | Dothan | 12 | 12 | 0% |
| Adeel RabbaniPsychiatry | Mobile | 83 | 84 | +1.2% |
| Bayani AbordoPsychiatry | Mobile | 107 | 114 | +6.5% |
| Stephan MeadorsPsychiatry | Birmingham | 12 | 13 | +8.3% |
| Steven BonnerPsychiatry & Neurology | Birmingham | 11 | 12 | +9.1% |
| Rachel PopePsychiatry | Huntsville | 1,596 | 1,745 | +9.3% |
| Daniel SwartzPsychiatry | Madison | 326 | 357 | +9.5% |
| Roza CieszkowskiPsychiatry & Neurology | Huntsville | 211 | 233 | +10.4% |
| Lorna BlandPsychiatry & Neurology | Brewton | 102 | 114 | +11.8% |
| Nathaniel HansenPsychiatry | Birmingham | 895 | 1,006 | +12.4% |
| Hugh SharpPsychiatry | Huntsville | 1,170 | 1,372 | +17.3% |
| Terry BentleyPsychiatry | Jasper | 2,332 | 2,766 | +18.6% |
| Romaine HainPsychiatry & Neurology | Birmingham | 69 | 84 | +21.7% |
| Stewart WaddellPsychiatry | Birmingham | 322 | 393 | +22% |
| Nelson HandalPsychiatry | Dothan | 171 | 214 | +25.1% |
| Joseph LucasPsychiatry | Birmingham | 2,071 | 2,626 | +26.8% |
| Robert HellardPsychiatry | Decatur | 69 | 88 | +27.5% |
| Todd LuellenPsychiatry | Mobile | 524 | 672 | +28.2% |
| Peter LuschePsychiatry | Opelika | 303 | 389 | +28.4% |
| Stacy SiegelPsychiatry & Neurology | Homewood | 291 | 374 | +28.5% |
| Pamela BarnettPsychiatry & Neurology | Mobile | 284 | 376 | +32.4% |
| Olga BelotserkovskayaPsychiatry | Bessemer | 1,142 | 1,532 | +34.2% |
| James HagemeyerPsychiatry & Neurology | Homewood | 380 | 523 | +37.6% |
| Scariya KumaramangalamPsychiatry | Huntsville | 2,044 | 2,818 | +37.9% |
| Babatunde AboladePsychiatry | Montgomery | 956 | 1,318 | +37.9% |
| Brandi Rudolph BollingPsychiatry | Jasper | 225 | 311 | +38.2% |
| Terry PassmanNeuropsychiatry | Fairhope | 261 | 362 | +38.7% |
| Bryant MahaffeyPsychiatry | Decatur | 800 | 1,113 | +39.1% |
| John Broderick-CantwellPsychiatry | Fairhope | 320 | 447 | +39.7% |
| Jerlyn MccleodPsychiatry | Dothan | 68 | 95 | +39.7% |
| Godehard OepenPsychiatry | Birmingham | 380 | 532 | +40% |
| Madison RedwinePsychiatry | Birmingham | 156 | 220 | +41% |
| Thad RyalsPsychiatry & Neurology | Birmingham | 60 | 85 | +41.7% |
| Bradley SadlerPsychiatry | Mobile | 400 | 570 | +42.5% |
| John PybassPsychiatry | Tuscaloosa | 99 | 142 | +43.4% |
| Eric CrowePsychiatry | Birmingham | 277 | 410 | +48% |
| Steven SuggPsychiatry | Vestavia | 336 | 498 | +48.2% |
| Benjamin CarrPsychiatry & Neurology | Gadsden | 612 | 967 | +58% |
| Florin GhelmezPsychiatry | Mobile | 343 | 550 | +60.3% |
| Misty AryPsychiatry | Birmingham | 43 | 69 | +60.5% |
| Thaddeus UlzenPsychiatry | Tuscaloosa | 306 | 497 | +62.4% |
| Kyle EcholsPsychiatry | Birmingham | 139 | 238 | +71.2% |
| Kay DantzlerPsychiatry | Birmingham | 15 | 26 | +73.3% |
| Fernando LopezPsychiatry | Dothan | 194 | 339 | +74.7% |
| Gonzalo GurmendiPsychiatry & Neurology | Birmingham | 60 | 107 | +78.3% |
| Mary Cohen-ColsonPsychiatry | Mobile | 145 | 264 | +82.1% |
| Anil SainiPsychiatry | Montgomery | 324 | 592 | +82.7% |
| Paul WeirPsychiatry & Neurology | Birmingham | 18 | 33 | +83.3% |
| Anika WilsonPsychiatry & Neurology | Madison | 14 | 26 | +85.7% |
| Jonathan PfeiferPsychiatry | Dothan | 65 | 129 | +98.5% |
| Ajmal KhanPsychiatry | Birmingham | 224 | 465 | +107.6% |
| Aaron HawkinsPsychiatry | Opelika | 76 | 167 | +119.7% |
| Clinton MartinPsychiatry | Birmingham | 97 | 222 | +128.9% |
| Kazi AhmadPsychiatry & Neurology | Cullman | 115 | 269 | +133.9% |
| John JeansPsychiatry | Tuscaloosa | 120 | 281 | +134.2% |
| Syed AftabPsychiatry | Jasper | 45 | 118 | +162.2% |
| Calvin HarrisPsychiatry & Neurology | Huntsville | 13 | 35 | +169.2% |
| Ammar AlrefaiPsychiatry | Madison | 884 | 2,437 | +175.7% |
| George ShehiGeriatric Psychiatry | Gadsden | 171 | 489 | +186% |
| Leona GrahamPsychiatry | Dothan | 36 | 106 | +194.4% |
| Muhammad HusainPsychiatry | Gadsden | 369 | 1,098 | +197.6% |
| Mark HaygoodPsychiatry | Mobile | 92 | 279 | +203.3% |
| Richard SinclairPsychiatry | Mobile | 272 | 1,198 | +340.4% |
| Quratulain AghaPsychiatry | Huntsville | 112 | 552 | +392.9% |
| Jun LiuPsychiatry | Madison | 207 | 1,113 | +437.7% |
| Jennifer HadleyPsychiatry | Birmingham | 43 | 260 | +504.7% |
| Michael FalolaPsychiatry | Birmingham | 13 | 84 | +546.2% |
| Matthew EhrlichPsychiatry | Birmingham | 36 | 245 | +580.6% |
| Gregory CiaccioPsychiatry | Guntersville | 23 | 183 | +695.7% |
| Amin GilaniPsychiatry | Birmingham | 64 | 552 | +762.5% |
| Luke ChiouPsychiatry | Birmingham | — | 897 | — |
| Donald CorneliusPsychiatry | Homewood | — | 847 | — |
| Terngu IbilahPsychiatry | Montgomery | — | 667 | — |
| Anthony BianchiPsychiatry | Hoover | — | 621 | — |
| Ryan JoyPsychiatry & Neurology | Cullman | — | 572 | — |
| Michael AndersonPsychiatry | Homewood | — | 516 | — |
| John HammondPsychiatry | Birmingham | — | 469 | — |
| James ReevesPsychiatry | Tuscaloosa | — | 421 | — |
| Frederick BrownPsychiatry | Mobile | — | 235 | — |
| Candace PerryPsychiatry | Daphne | — | 203 | — |
| Michael MarshallPsychiatry | Mobile | — | 195 | — |
| Eric HedbergPsychiatry & Neurology | Montgomery | — | 195 | — |
| Kevin PutintaPsychiatry | Mobile | — | 169 | — |
| Kyle HudgensPsychiatry & Neurology | Birmingham | — | 153 | — |
| John OlsenPsychiatry | Foley | — | 142 | — |
| Austin LukerPsychiatry | Opelika | — | 130 | — |
| Paulo Marcelo Gondim SalesPsychiatry | Vestavia Hills | — | 119 | — |
| Angelica Vazquez AnayaPsychiatry | Madison | — | 115 | — |
| Adam NioletPsychiatry | Birmingham | — | 98 | — |
| Mark BurgerPsychiatry | Montgomery | — | 98 | — |
| William WilsonPsychiatry | Fairhope | — | 80 | — |
| James HarrowAddiction Medicine | Montgomery | — | 80 | — |
| Coleman CosgrovePsychiatry | Auburn | — | 80 | — |
| Conor CroninPsychiatry & Neurology | Mobile | — | 79 | — |
| Anna SteffanPsychiatry | Centre | — | 74 | — |
| Andrew WilkersonNeuropsychiatry | Florence | — | 65 | — |
| Amber AbramsPsychiatry | Vestavia Hls | — | 65 | — |
| Muayad AlzuabiPsychiatry & Neurology | Birmingham | — | 65 | — |
| Samantha LeePsychiatry | Daphne | — | 65 | — |
| Gavin BrunsvoldPsychiatry & Neurology | Birmingham | — | 62 | — |
| Kimberly McwilliamsPsychiatry & Neurology | Madison | — | 62 | — |
| Joseph GregoryPsychiatry & Neurology | Birmingham | — | 58 | — |
| Christiana WilkinsPsychiatry | Opelika | — | 55 | — |
| Susana Sanchez GuzmanPsychiatry | Florence | — | 48 | — |
| Milza HowardPsychiatry | Opelika | — | 48 | — |
| Jeanetta MalonePsychiatry | Opelika | — | 45 | — |
| Zuomin ChenPsychiatry | Birmingham | — | 44 | — |
| Jeala Barnett-GentryPsychiatry & Neurology | Birmingham | — | 40 | — |
| Janice SandyPsychiatry & Neurology | Birmingham | — | 38 | — |
| Ibrahim AskarPsychiatry & Neurology | Birmingham | — | 36 | — |
| Janak GhelaniPsychiatry | Mobile | — | 36 | — |
| Evan ChaversPsychiatry & Neurology | Mobile | — | 36 | — |
| William BurnsPsychiatry & Neurology | Tuscaloosa | — | 35 | — |
| Mohammad IslamPsychiatry & Neurology | Tuscaloosa | — | 33 | — |
| Christina SmithPsychiatry & Neurology | Vestavia | — | 30 | — |
| Stephen TaylorAddiction Medicine | Birmingham | — | 28 | — |
| Harold VeitsPsychiatry & Neurology | Mobile | — | 26 | — |
| Aparna VuppalaNeuropsychiatry | Huntsville | — | 25 | — |
| Amanda DavisPsychiatry | Mobile | — | 25 | — |
| William TennantPsychiatry | Cullman | — | 22 | — |
| Branden BenningfieldPsychiatry & Neurology | Birmingham | — | 19 | — |
| Logan RogersPsychiatry | Mobile | — | 18 | — |
| Karen FitzpatrickPsychiatry & Neurology | Birmingham | — | 17 | — |
| Farrukh JamilPsychiatry | Gadsden | — | 17 | — |
| Lee AschermanPsychiatry | Birmingham | — | 15 | — |
| Calley JohnstonPsychiatry | Birmingham | — | 14 | — |
| Kavina JaniPsychiatry & Neurology | Birmingham | — | 14 | — |
| Rodney SwilliePsychiatry & Neurology | Birmingham | — | 14 | — |
| Chelsea MillerPsychiatry & Neurology | Mobile | — | 14 | — |
| Norman HugginsPsychiatry | Birmingham | — | 14 | — |
| William KamensPsychiatry | Centre | — | 14 | — |
| Nasima AminNeuropsychiatry | Tuscaloosa | — | 12 | — |
| Lindy HarrellPsychiatry & Neurology | Birmingham | — | 12 | — |
| Ioana Naumescu ShirleyPsychiatry & Neurology | Birmingham | — | 12 | — |
| Senthil Vel Rajan Rajaram ManoharanPsychiatry | Huntsville | — | 12 | — |
| Miranda CrowellPsychiatry | Mobile | — | 12 | — |
| Justin ParrottPsychiatry | Madison | 132 | 1,559 | +1081.1% |
| Amjed JavaidPsychiatry | Birmingham | 25 | 298 | +1092% |
| Jaria ChowdhuryPsychiatry | Pelham | 28 | 796 | +2742.9% |
| Ebony DavisPsychiatry | Birmingham | 17 | 499 | +2835.3% |
Figures are reproduced from the CMS public use files without alteration. Clinicians who believe a row misstates their record can write to support@taperoffbenzos.com and we will check it against the source file and correct or remove it.
Finding a prescriber in Alabama
This data describes prescribing patterns; it does not tell you who will support a slow taper. For that, our guide to finding a benzo-wise prescriber compares every free provider directory that exists and lists the five questions that predict how a taper will go. If you already have a prescriber, the taper calculator generates a schedule to review with them.
Frequently asked questions
Is benzodiazepine prescribing rising or falling in Alabama?
It fell 30.3% between 2013 and 2024 in Medicare Part D — a steeper fall than the country as a whole, where prescribing fell 12.9%. In 2024, Alabama recorded 676,876 benzodiazepine claims across 123,900 patients.
How does Alabama compare to other states?
Alabama ranks 4 of 51 for prescribing intensity, at 5.46 benzodiazepine fills per patient per year, and 5 of 51 for the size of its decline since 2013 (1 being the steepest fall).
Which benzodiazepine is prescribed most in Alabama?
Alprazolam, at 232,259 claims — 34.3% of the state's benzodiazepine prescribing in 2024. Next are Clonazepam (32.1%) and Lorazepam (17.7%).
Source
CMS Medicare Part D Prescribers public use files, data years 2013–2024 (US Government work, public domain). Medicare Part D only — it excludes commercial insurance and cash-pay, skews toward patients 65 and over, and suppresses cells of 10 or fewer claims. Full methodology and limitations are on the national page.